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Wales will create history if they defeat Scotland at Murrayfield next Saturday. They have won their past four away matches in the championship, something they have achieved three times before, but never have they made it five in a row on the road.

Since losing in Paris at the end of the 2011 Six Nations, Wales have won in Ireland, England, France and Italy, equalling a run they first achieved in 1908-09 and equalled in 1952-53 and 1977-79. In addition, Wales have won their past five Tests against Scotland.

Murrayfield was the scene of their biggest points total away from home, 46, in 2005 on their way to the grand slam, and a member of their management team that day was Scott Johnson, now Scotland's acting head coach after Andy Robinson's resignation last November.

Scotland went through 2012 without winning at home – like Wales they started this year's Six Nations having almost forgotten what it was like to win – but they defeated Italy and Ireland at Murrayfield last month, the first time they had recorded consecutive victories in the Six Nations since 2001, and the winner on Saturday will establish themselves as the challenger to England for the title.

"Scott has brought fresh ideas to Scotland, following on the good work done by Robinson," says the Wales prop Adam Jones, a survivor from 2005, who has worked with Johnson at regional and international level. "He seems to have gone back to basics, getting the most out of a big pack, but the back line is also performing. He is doing something right."

Johnson was known during his time with Wales – when he described New Zealand as a "poxy little island", correcting his remark after being rebuked to "two poxy little islands" – as an exponent of mind games, something he carried on as Australia's skills coach and when he became Ospreys' director of rugby in 2009 after a stint with the United States.

"Scott can ramble as much as he wants, but it becomes pretty boring in the end," says the Wales and Ospreys second row, Ian Evans. "There is no doubt the mind games will be coming this week, but rugby is a pretty easy game; you do not have to add fuel to the fire. Scott is a very experienced coach and you have to respect what he has achieved."

England will be hard to overhaul at the top if they defeat Italy comfortably at Twickenham a week on Sunday, but Wales will not be conceding their title ahead of their encounter with the leaders on the final day in Cardiff if they are victorious in Scotland. "We know it will be hard to win the title on points difference," Jones says. "I could answer the question do we have a shout of being champions by trotting out the bollocks line of one game at a time. We just have to win in Scotland and hope."